Analysis and PDE seminar which will take place in 740 Evans Hall on Nov 16th

Speaker: Marina Iliopoulou (University of Birmingham)

Title: Algebraic aspects of harmonic analysis

Abstract: When we want to understand a geometric picture, finding the zero set of a polynomial hiding in it can be very helpful: it can reveal structure and allow computations. Polynomial partitioning, developed by Guth and Katz, is a technique to find such a nice algebraic hypersurface. Polynomial partitioning has revolutionised discrete incidence geometry in the recent years, thanks to the fact that interaction of lines with algebraic hypersurfaces is well-understood. Recently, however, Guth discovered agreeable interaction between tubes and algebraic hypersurfaces, and thus used polynomial partitioning to improve on the 3-dim restriction problem. In this talk, we will present polynomial partitioning via a discrete analogue of the Kakeya problem, and discuss its potential to be extensively used in harmonic analysis.